Methods and apparatus for autonomous 3D self-assembly, spatial docking and reconfiguration

Abstract

A method for autonomously assembling a plurality of tiles is performed in a microgravity environment. Each tile includes a shell having a first geometrical shape and an arrangement of first magnets and a controller that are supported by the shell. The controller controls operation of the arrangement of first magnets to self-assemble the shell with another tile. The first magnets are controlled to mate with a complementary arrangement of second magnets on the other tile when the complementary arrangement of second magnets floats to within a range of magnetic attractive force of the arrangement of first magnets, with or without the aid of propulsion. The controllers in the tiles detect the status of the magnetic bonds to determine whether each pair of tiles is properly bonded or has a magnetic bond error. When an error is detected, the tiles are controlled to disassemble and reassemble to correct the error.

We claim: 
     
       1. A tile, comprising:
 a shell having a first geometrical shape; 
 an arrangement of first magnets supported by the shell; 
 a controller, within the shell, configured to control operation of the arrangement of first magnets to assemble the shell with at least one other tile in a microgravity environment, wherein the arrangement of first magnets is controlled to mate with a complementary arrangement of second magnets on the at least one other tile when the complementary arrangement of second magnets is within a range of a magnetic attractive force of the arrangement of first magnets; and 
 an alignment guide, having at least one of a protrusion and a recess, and configured to create an offset between a side surface of the shell and a side surface of a shell of the at least one other tile in response to an improper assembly of the tile and the at least one other tile. 
 
     
     
       2. The tile of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to detect an aligned magnetic bond between one or more of the magnets in the arrangement of first magnets and one or more of the magnets in the arrangement of second magnets. 
     
     
       3. The tile of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to detect a magnetic bond error between one or more of the magnets in the arrangement of first magnets and one or more of the magnets in the arrangement of second magnets. 
     
     
       4. The tile of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a magnetic field sensor configured to generate a magnetic field sensor signal in response to a magnetic field of one or more of the magnets in the arrangement of first magnets and wherein the controller is further configured to detect a magnetic bond error based upon the magnetic field sensor signal. 
 
     
     
       5. The tile of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the controller is configured to control input of current into a coil of one or more of the magnets in the arrangement of first magnets to generate a repulsive force having a strength sufficient to separate the one or more of the magnets in the arrangement of first magnets from the one of the magnets in the arrangement of second magnets. 
 
     
     
       6. The tile of  claim 4 , wherein the magnetic field sensor signal corresponds to a magnetic signature. 
     
     
       7. The tile of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to detect the magnetic bond error when the magnetic signature deviates from a predetermined magnetic signature indicative of a magnetic bond that does not have an error. 
     
     
       8. The tile of  claim 1 , wherein the range of magnetic attractive force is generated based upon a magnetic field of a core of the arrangement of first magnets without any contribution from a coil-induced field of the arrangement of first magnets. 
     
     
       9. The tile of  claim 1 , wherein the arrangement of first magnets and the arrangement of second magnets are selected from a group consisting of electromagnets, electro-permanent magnets, passive magnets, and pixel magnets. 
     
     
       10. The tile of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the controller is configured to detect a magnetic bond error based upon a magnetic field error produced by the offset. 
 
     
     
       11. A structure comprising:
 a plurality of tiles, each of the plurality of tiles including:
 a shell having a geometrical shape; 
 an arrangement of magnets supported by the shell; and 
 a controller, disposed in the shell and configured to control operation of the arrangement of magnets to join a first one of the plurality of tiles with a second one of the plurality of tiles in a microgravity environment; and 
 an alignment guide, having at least one of a protrusion and a recess, and configured to create an offset between a side surface of the shell of the first one of the plurality of tiles and a side surface of the shell of the second one of the plurality of tiles in response to an improper assembly of the first one of the plurality of tiles and the second one of the plurality of tiles, wherein:
 in response to the arrangement of magnets on the first one of the plurality of tiles being within a range of a magnetic attractive force of an arrangement of magnets of the second one of the plurality of tiles, the arrangement of magnets in the first one of the plurality of tiles is controlled to create a magnetic bond with the arrangement of magnets on the second one of the plurality of tiles. 
 
 
 
     
     
       12. The structure of  claim 11  wherein:
 at least one of the plurality of tiles has a shell with a first geometrical shape; and 
 at least one of the plurality of tiles has a shell with a second, different geometrical shape. 
 
     
     
       13. The tile of  claim 1 , wherein in response to a confirmation signal provided from at least one other tile comprising an arrangement of second magnets, the controller is configured to determine a status of a magnetic bond between at least one magnet in the arrangement of first magnets and at least one magnet in the complementary arrangement of second magnets. 
     
     
       14. The tile of  claim 13 , wherein the confirmation signal is derived from at least one of:
 (a) information transmitted from at least one other tile using alternating current (AC) magnetic coupling; or 
 (b) from a color of light transmitted from at least one other tile; 
 (c) from a series of coded pulses optically transmitted from at least one other tile; or 
 (d) from a series of coded pulses magnetically transmitted from at least one other tile. 
 
     
     
       15. The tile of  claim 14 , wherein the magnetic bond is detected to have a first status based upon one or more of:
 (a) detection of a first color of light transmitted from at least one other tile; or 
 (b) detection of a first modulated optical code transmitted from at least one other tile. 
 
     
     
       16. The tile of  claim 15 , wherein the magnetic bond is detected to have a second status based upon one or more of:
 (a) detection of a second color of light transmitted from at least one other tile; or 
 (b) detection of a second modulated optical code transmitted from at least one other tile. 
 
     
     
       17. The tile of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a proximity sensor configured to determine whether at least one other tile is within range of a magnetic attractive force of the arrangement of first magnets and whether the tile and the at least one other tile are in proper alignment. 
 
     
     
       18. The tile of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a light emitter configured to transmit at least one of:
 a predetermined color of light to at least one other tile based upon a determined status of the magnetic bond; and 
 a predetermined modulated optical code to at least one other tile based upon a determined status of the magnetic bond. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The tile of  claim 1 , wherein the complementary arrangement of second magnets on the at least one other tile float to within a range of magnetic attractive force of the arrangement of first magnets without aid of propulsion. 
     
     
       20. The tile of  claim 1 , wherein the complementary arrangement of second magnets on the at least one other tile float to within a range of magnetic attractive force of the arrangement of first magnets with aid of propulsion. 
     
     
       21. A method for performing self-assembly and reconfiguration of structures, comprising:
 autonomously assembling a plurality of tiles to form a first structure, the plurality of tiles including controllers configured to control magnets on sides of the plurality of tiles to magnetically bond the plurality of tiles together to form the first structure, each one of the plurality of tiles further including an alignment guide, having at least one of a protrusion and a recess, and configured to create an offset between a side surface of a shell of the one of the plurality of tiles and a side surface of a shell of another one of the plurality of tiles in response to an improper assembly of the one of the plurality of tiles and the other one of the plurality of tiles; 
 generating or receiving information to reconfigure at least some of the plurality of tiles to form a second structure different from the first structure; 
 autonomously dis-assembling at least a portion of the first structure by releasing one or more of the plurality of tiles which form the first structure, wherein the one or more released tiles are released by controlling release of one or more magnetic bonds between the magnets of the one or more of the plurality of tiles which form the first structure based upon the information; and 
 autonomously assembling the second structure by controlling operation of magnets on sides of at least some of the one or more released tiles to bond the at least some of the one or more released tiles together to form the second structure. 
 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21 , wherein:
 autonomously assembling the first structure includes autonomously assembling the first structure in a microgravity environment; 
 autonomously dis-assembling at least a portion of the first structure includes autonomously dis-assembling at least a portion of the first structure in a microgravity environment; and 
 autonomously assembling the second structure includes autonomously assembling the second structure in a microgravity environment. 
 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 21 , wherein autonomously assembling the first structure from a plurality of tiles comprises releasing the plurality of tiles from a storage into a microgravity environment. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 21 , wherein the magnets on sides of the plurality of tiles are provided as one or more or more of: electromagnets, electro-permanent magnets, passive magnets, and pixel magnets. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the first structure or the second structure is configured as a three-dimensional space constellation. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the first structure or the second structure is configured to have a modular in-space swarm configuration.